Maque Choux

8 medium ears of fresh corn ( or 1 lb frozen kernel corn ~ 4 cups)

1 lb tasso, andouiille or spicy smoked sausage (use your favorite brand) chopped into bite sized pieces

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 small green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

1 medium tomato, cut up

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (or to taste)

Remove the husks from corn; scrub with a stiff brush to remove silks. Rinse.Use a sharp knife to remove corn from cobs, cutting two-thirds of the way to the cob. Scrape the cobs with a dull edge of a knife (this should be about 4 cups or corn).

Brown tasso or sausage in a 3-quart saucepan. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add margarine or butter to the now empty pan and cook onion and green pepper about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in corn, tomato, salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes or until corn is tender. Add tasso/sausage back to pan and cook approximately another 5 minutes. Season to taste.

Makes about 6 side dish servings.

11/2008 - Jessica Diez